Welsh veg in school dinners call by as Torfaen joins scheme

South Wales Argus

11-05-2025

This comes after the release of his Future Generations Report.
Derek Walker wants all 22 Welsh councils to join the Welsh Veg in Schools project, which aims to increase the supply of locally produced organic vegetables in school meals.
He believes this initiative could be part of a long-term plan to improve Wales' food security and ensure equal access to local, affordable, healthy, and sustainable diets.
Five new councils, Pembrokeshire, Torfaen, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, and Gwynedd, have signed up to the project, joining seven who signed up last year.
Mr Walker said: "The 50 recommendations in my Future Generations Report will help Welsh Government and those delivering public services to improve lives in Cymru.
"A week after publishing the report, I am already seeing major commitments to my calls and I urge more public bodies to sign up – including the 10 councils who are yet to make a commitment to more vegetables on school children's plates."
The Welsh Veg in Schools project is a pilot initiative coordinated by Food Sense Wales, aiming to get more organically produced Welsh veg into primary school meals across Wales.
Currently, only a quarter of a portion of vegetables per head of the population is being produced in Wales.
The project has the potential to increase the market to help realise this commitment.
Katie Palmer, head of Food Sense Wales, said: "At its heart, Welsh Veg in Schools is about getting sustainably produced, local veg into schools to nourish children via their school meals.
"We aren't producing enough vegetables in Wales and we need to be building our own supply base, bringing benefit to local communities and reducing our reliance on imports through connecting local growers with local wholesalers and fostering relationships that help businesses flourish."
Last week, Food Sense Wales published a report that said around 25 per cent of all vegetables served in schools across Wales could be organic by 2030 with the right planning and investment in infrastructure.